Drying machine



c. F; GREGG DRYING MACHINE Filed March 18, 1926 Dec. 13, 1927.

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Patented Dec. 13, 1927.

PATENT OFFICE. j I

CHARLES E. GREGG; or INDIANAPOLIS; INDIANA.

DRYING MACHINE. 7

Application filed March 18,1926; Serial No. 95,612.

My invention relates to improvements in drying machines particularly for. use in cleaning establishments. v

In the. methods heretofore used in com-v 5 mercial cleaning establishments for the drying of clothes, the garments having been cleaned in the washer are withdrawn and centrifugedythen passed to a drying tumbler ofthe rotary oscillating type and the clothes are therefore subjected to 'consider- H on suitable legs 13 formed in pairs and each able rough usage due to the tumbling.

' Another method now commercially used is that of hanging the clothes in a drying room which is heated.

the first method is that delicate fabrics, etc, due to the rough tumbling in the tumbler are frequently injured and destroyed and one of Ithe'objections to the second method of drying is the time required in'hanging the garments and taking them down after drying and the spacerequir'ed' for a drying room.

It is oneof the objects of my invention to provide a drying apparatus in which delibe readily dried by having the same time being slightly moved to permit the'freepassage of the air Without rough tumbling.

For the purpose of disclosing my inven 'tion I have illustrated one embodiment in vthe accompanying drawings in which.

' Fig. 1 is a side elevation of an apparatus embodying my invention; Fig. 2'is a transverse sectional view; 4 I Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view, and Fig. 4 is a bottom side. elevation partly in section showing means for delivering heatedair to the drying apparatus. r

In the embodiment illustrated I providea housing "creasing 1 preferably cylindricalin shapehaving a cone shaped bottom '2 pro-' vided at the a peXof thecone with an air inlet opening 3. This casing near its top 1s provided with anexit opening 4;. and with a suitable door 5 to permit access to the interior thereof. Vertically reciprocating within this casing is a receptacle 6 cylindrical in shape and having a cone shaped bottom 7 open at its lower end, the opening being covered however by foraminous material 8. This receptacle is adapted 'to-receive the articles to be dried and to prevent the escape of the articles during'the drying operation I provide a foraminous cover in the form of a pair of hinged sections 9 and One of the'objections to 1O v adaptedto'beheld closed a suitable latch ll. This receptacle'o substantially fits the cas ng 1, only 'sufiicient spacebeingallowed 'between'the' walls of the twoto perunit ready movement of the receptacle. This spacing is closed by an annular packing ring 1 12 mounted on the receptacle 6 and making sliding engagement with the inner wallof the casingl. i r i The casing 1 is supported above the fiber to-pitman rods 20 connected at theirlower the casing. The rods 18 have secured'there-i ends to crank arms 21 operated 'byi any suit able power mechanism.

For counter-balanclng the rec'eptacletlv I I provide counter-balance weights 22 mounted "on slide rods 23 mounted at their -lower ends in sockets 24v and connected. at their upper ends to sprocket; chains 25' passing over sprocket wheels 26 on a shaft 27 mounted at the top of the 'casing,'and having their opposite ends-connected at 28 with the tops of the slide rods 18.

Heated air is admitted through the bottom opening 3 bya conduit 29' connected with a suitable heating chamber 30 provided with steam orother heating coils 31.

This conduit is provided with a checkvalve 32' adapted to be closedagainst back pressure and to be opened under forward pressure against a'coil'spring 33. If desired, air may be admitted under pressure created by the means of a blower34 arranged in the conduit. r v

In operationthe goods to be dried are placedin the receptacle 6 which is vertically reciprocated within the casing 1. This receptacle actssomewhat as a piston and on its up stroke will tend to draw the air. in through the delivery opening 3, the air being either forced in under pressure of the blower 34; or drawn in merely through the action of the reciprocation of the receptacle 6. On the down stroke of the receptaclethe airdrawn into the casing l'is forced up through the opening 8 in the receptacle and through the goods and out through the top of the receptacle, the pressure of the air being sufiicient during this movement to raise the goods in the receptacle and flufi' the goods during itsjpassa'ge therethrough. As the receptacle again rises to draw in afreshisupply of air the goods will tend to drop toward the bottom of the receptacle and due to the cone shape of the bottom thereof tend to crowd toward the inlet opening so as to receive during the next downward movement of the receptacle the full effect of the air passing therethrough I have shown heated air being delivered under pressure to the container 1. It will be understood however'that the blower 34; may, if desired,'be dispensed with or the heating of the air may be dispensed with although I have found that the most desirable results are obtained by delivering heated air under pressure.

' I claim as my invention:

1. In a drier for garments and the like the combination with a receptacle having a to raminous top and a cone shaped bottom provided with a foraminous covered opening, of means for intermittently delivering a blast of air through said receptacle said blast having a tendency to lift the articles contained in the receptacle from the cone shaped bottom. I

2. In a drier for garments and the like the combination with a casing, of areceptacle having a foraminous top and a cone shaped bottom provided with a foraminous covered opening reciprocable in said casing and means for admitting drying air to the bottom of said casing, the reciprocal movement of the receptacle in said casing forcing the air up through the receptacle and the garments contained therein. T i

3. In a drier for garments and the like the combination with a casing, of a recep-v tacle reciprocable in said casing having a foraminous covered opening in the bottom and the top open to the passage of air therethrough, said casing having an air inlet opening in the bottom thereof for the adtacle and the garments contained therein.

5. In a drier for garments and the'like the combination with a casing of a receptacle rcciprocable therein and having a cone sha Jed bottom nrovided with a foraminous covered opening, the top of said receptacle being open to the passage of air therethrough, said easing having an air inlet passage "to the bottom thereof and a check valve for said inlet passage whereby the reciprocation oi 'said recepta le in said casing will said casing having an air inlet to the draw airinto said casing and force the same up through the receptacle and the garments contained therein. 7

6. In a drier for garments andthe' like the combination with a casing, of a receptacle reciprocable in said casing and having a cone shaped bottom provided with a foraminous opening, the top of said receptacle being open to the passage of air therethrough and means for causing the 1nterm1ttent delivery of air under pressure through said bottom opening as the receptacle is reciprocated in saidcasmg.

7. In a drier for garments and the like,- the combination with a receptacle having .a c

foraminous top and a bottom-provided with a foraminous opening, of means for intermittently delivering a blast of air through said bottom opening of suificient force to lift the articles contained in the-receptacle from the bottom of the receptacle. I

In witness whereof I, CHARLES F. GREGG, have hereunto set my hand at Indianapolis Indiana, this 16th day of March, VA. D

one thousand nine hundred and twenty-six,

CHARLES F. GREGG. 

